Kevin Bronson on June 26th, 2014

0

So the story goes that Jordy Towers, fka Optimus, had retreated from Los Angeles to his native Cleveland, licking musician’s wounds that seemingly only major-label-relationships-gone-sour can inflict. At a bar he met Matt Gibson and Ben Schigel, and SomeKindaWonderful was born. Aside from a name the late Huell Howser would love, the L.A.-based quintet brings a lot to their self-titled debut album, which came out this week via Downtown, all of it very slick and commercial and remixable. “Reverse” has become their breakout radio single, an intense, Neighbourhood-like entreaty, while the rest of the album darts between professionally executed retro-rock, hip-pop, electro and nu-R&B. “Cornbread” is a stale ’70s jam, while “Shine On Me” injects some gospel flava into the proceedings. If you’re looking to make some kinda sense out of SomeKindaWonderful, don’t bother; it’s more about star-making than soul-stirring.

||| Stream: “Reverse”

||| Live: SomeKindaWonderful plays tonight at the Bootleg, June 28 at the Constellation Room and June 30 at It’s a School Night at Bardot.

Photo by Jade Ehlers